This booth belonged to Brian Cullity, Sagamore, Mass. There was an assortment of Eighteenth Century delft, Eighteenth Century American silver, a selection of Westerwald jugs, other early ceramics and more.
Review & Onsite Photos By Rick Russack
BOXBOROUGH, MASS. — The final show of Rachel and Josh Gurley’s Boxborough season, held on March 3, had about 40 exhibitors and a good crowd. That’s the formula for good sales, and dealers were writing sales slips shortly after opening. There were several dealers new to the show and many of the regulars. It’s essentially a show with plenty for the fans of Americana but there were also dealers offering Asian material, early English furniture, a wide range of ceramics and plenty of good folk art from dealers like Jewett-Berdan Antiques, Newcastle, Maine.
They had an exceptional candlewick or whitework valance, circa 1790-1810, with a large spread-wing eagle. Tom Jewett said that it had come from Pennsylvania. It was sold to a dealer who said they have put it away for the New Hampshire Antiques Week shows. They also had a colorful painted fireboard of a multistoried brick building with a cupola and lightning rod, set behind green lawns and a white fence. It depicted the Ripley Female College in Poultney, Vt., which was, according to Jewett, the first institution in Vermont to grant a college degree to a woman. It later became Green Mountain College but financial problems caused it to close in 2019. The fireboard was priced at $3,800. They also had a carved wooden diorama of a fully rigged sailing ship, priced $850, along with a selection of cloth animals and some Halloween decorations.
This covered birchbark container, possibly Micmac, was signed with the maker’s signature and a date of 1938. Rachel and Josh Gurley, Scarborough, Maine, priced it at $375.
The first booth near the entrance was Gurley Antiques, Scarborough, Maine. The booth included a large decorated, covered birchbark container, perhaps Micmac or Passamaquoddy. It was signed “Kanata” and dated 1938. Decorated with images of hunters, moose and several other animals it was priced $375. They also had a canvas Canada goose decoy, a selection of spongeware, stuffed animals and a pair of open-work creamware plates, which were priced at $245.
Across the aisle from the Gurleys was the booth of Tommy Thompson, Chichester, N.H. He had an early broom that he said was a “fire” broom used by firemen cleaning debris after a fire, unlike the fireplace brooms that turn up from time to time. It had a long handle with numerous sturdy and uniform twigs bound by a riveted tin collar and it was priced $135. He also had some primitive beeskeps, a selection of cloth animals and some holiday decorations.
Hooked rugs often depict a variety of animals, but those with insects are far less common. Ken and Robin Pike, Nashua N.H., had one and it was surprisingly inexpensive. Theirs was a large, colorful butterfly and they were asking $175. They also had a well-loved cloth kangaroo with a baby in its pouch. It very likely was Kanga and Roo, from Winnie the Pooh. They were asking $75.
Tom and Bev Longacre, Marlborough, N.H., offered this blue, Hitchcock-style child’s settee for $495.
Tom and Bev Longacre, Marlborough, N.H., are well known for an assortment of folk art and Bev specializes in Christmas decorations, of which she had a selection. You couldn’t help but notice an eye-catching Hitchcock-style rush-seat child’s settee with worn light blue paint. The crest was also painted and the price was $495. Hessian andirons are most often unpainted or show little paint because of wear. They had a pair with realistically colored uniforms and they were asking $325.
While on the subject of andirons, we have to mention a pair that Bjorn Borssen, Rochester, N.H., had. Designed to resemble sunflowers, they were more than 3 feet tall and made of multiple pieces of metal. The price was $950, and they sold quickly. Borssen said they had been found in the Hudson River Valley. He also had a twig, Adirondack-style chair priced at $295 and an unusual, small twig basket for which he was asking $75.
Bethany Kelly, Limington, Maine, brought a selection of several tea caddies. One of her tortoiseshell examples was priced at $1,650 and another small tortoiseshell box, perhaps a cigarette case, was $195. Her booth included a large portrait of a young woman holding a bunch of flowers. Kelly thought it dated to the late Eighteenth Century, probably French or English, and she was asking $1,450. John Hunt Marshall, Westhampton, Mass., also had a Regency period inlaid tea caddy with a nicely painted top for which he was asking $3,250.
Bethany Kelly, Limington, Maine, offered a selection of tortoiseshell and other tea caddies. Her prices on the tortoiseshell examples ranged from $1,650. The inlaid wooden one in the foreground of this photo was priced $495.
Falmouth, Mass., dealer Oliver Garland brings early things that are not easily categorized. Centrally displayed in his booth this time was a large carved and painted head of Saint Francis of Assisi. Unusually, it had large glass eyes, dated to the 1700s. Garland priced it $1,450. He also had a series of watercolors of exotic birds done by Nicolas Hüet (1770-1830). Hüet’s watercolors were used in a variety of ornithological studies published in the Nineteenth Century including Birds of the World and several others. Garland priced the watercolors individually from $900 to $1,700 each. His selection of tea caddies included a molded Whieldon example, circa 1770, for which he was asking $1,450.
Two additional dealers who can always be counted on for a selection of Eighteenth Century and earlier objects are Brian Cullity and Hollis Brodrick. Among other items, Cullity, Sagmore, Mass., had a large group of early American silver, including a coin silver porringer by Boston silversmith Robert Evans (1768-1812), which was priced $1,800. There were other early porringers, spoons, teapots and more. His early ceramics included an unusual Westerwald puzzle jug and several polychromed delft chargers — a circa 1750 English example was priced $1,750 and a Liverpool example, showing usual edge wear, was $1,100. He also had a turned treen pricket candlestick, dating to the 1600s, which was priced $1,600. An unusual feature was that the underside of the base was carved as a cookie mold might be.
Portsmouth, N.H., dealer Hollis Brodrick was asking $450 for this humorous Eighteenth Century mezzotint dealing with marriage.
Hollis Brodrick, Portsmouth, N.H., had a humorous Eighteenth Century mezzotint about marriage priced $450. He also had a miniature brass tea kettle on a brass base which he priced $235. Perhaps it was made for the dollhouse of a wealthy young lady? Brodrick also had a set of nine Eighteenth Century pistol-grip knives and forks priced $1,250.
Brett Cabral, Salem, N.H., had a large booth at the front of the show. He displayed a variety of redware, stoneware, art pottery, midcentury pottery, painted woodenware and a small collection of mortars and pestles. Stoneware bottles were priced as low as $15 each, and a handled stoneware jug made by O.L. Fern, Co., Boston, was $110. His art pottery included a small Van Briggle vase priced $75 and a large Hampshire vase with a deep blue glaze priced $275. Midcentury pottery included a Gerry Williams vase for which he was asking $495.
After the show Rachel Gurley said, “We had a good group of shows in Boxborough this season and we’ll be back again in October. I heard good things from the dealers and the customers for this one. Everyone was happy. The attendance was good, and it was steady all day. I saw furniture going out and lots of bags. For me, it was an exciting show, and Josh and I look forward to the fall season which will begin in October.”
For additional information, www.gurleyantiqueshows.com or 207-396-4255.
